I blinked a few times, hoping to adjust my vision, but the inky blackness seemed impenetrable. With each passing second, my heartbeat echoed louder in my ears, a constant reminder of the situation at hand.

For a few moments I fantasised being a character is some movie. Those chick flies that would have you gripping at the end of your seat, squealing with pleasure when the main characters finally experience a close proximity scenario. But I damn well knew I had to be anchored into this reality.

And my mind had it's own mind. I lifted up my knee and pushed upwards in a sharp motion, hitting him right where it mattered.

Nate doubled over and let out a strangled groan. "What the fuck?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?" I asked innocently, dusting away invisible dust off his shirt. In the dark as well.

I felt the old Ellie slowly come back to surface and I welcomed that bitch in every way possible. I needed her. I needed her so freaking much right now.

"Ellie," Nate said in a strangled voice.

I pushed him back so I could walk past him. No way was he going to get the upper hand anymore.

I continued walking through the maze. I could admit I was slightly frightened but also because I could feel a presence always hovering behind me. My heart was racing constantly because I couldn't see much and whenever my eyes caught a few light spots, I used it to look behind me but it was impossible to see.

Rough hands gripped my arms and yanked me into a darker corner. I let out a scream but the sound was quickly muffled by their hands being pressed on my mouth. They pressed their whole body fully on me, their weight familiar.

I narrowed my eyes even though I couldn't see as his smell wafted through my nose. I began to thrash in his hold, bitting his flesh in hopes of getting him to let go.

"This is making me feel all sorts of things," Nate said in a pleasant tone. I stopped moving and felt something poke my lower stomach. A flutter of butterflies landed in my stomach but I quickly swatted them away.

His hands dropped from my arm and rested on my waist, pulling me closer so I felt every inch of him. This man was wrecking all my plans with every single touch of his. My will was so fragile that I was really tempted to just give in.

But my urge to go back to a reformed Ellie was stronger.

"Let me go Nate." I said, my voice much stronger than before. Before he could reply, I leaned forward in the dark and hoped to find what I was looking for. When I did, I bit down harshly.

In my mind I thought I would give it a harsh bite but in reality, I ended up closing my teeth gently on his bottom lip and gave it a small tug. One small touch, and I could feel the physical intensity double.

He let out a ragged breathe, this one sounding more pained than before. "I'll talk when I want to talk. I do what I want to do from this moment onwards. Say hi to Elisandra."

I pushed him away and he moved with ease this time. And I continued the night through the maze, finally catching up with Emma outside the maze. I ogled at her disheveled state and her own swollen lips. She looked slightly frightened and out of breath and I was shocked to see half her top was missing.

"What happened?" I asked her, trying to fix her messy hair. She looked at me with wild eyes and slowly gripped my arm.

"How did he find me?" She asked me, sounding bewildered.

I smirked down at her, now understanding why she looked like she did. And just then, the culprit came strolling out the maze, whistling a tune that sounded jolly. His eyes landed on Emma and they instantly darkened and I was tempted to remind him that he was not alone.

He walked towards us, not once glancing at his surroundings as his eyes were zeroed on Emma. I moved out the way just as he stopped mere inches in front of her. Her breathing halted as she held his gaze.

I thought Claud was going to say something but instead, he lifted his thumb and slowly swiped at Emma's lower lip. He held her gaze and then just sauntered away, continuing his whistling tune.

Emma let out a breathe once he was gone and looked at me, blinking a few times to get herself together.

"Did you guys have sex?" I whispered to her and was answered with a smack to my chest.

****

An hour later, we made it back to the old house. The short nap I had earlier kept me from feeling too tired, so I decided to take a quick shower and change into something more comfy. I slipped into a pair of Nate's sweatpants and grabbed one of his slightly oversized tops. It gave me a sense of comfort, like being wrapped in a hug from him.

Walking into the kitchen, my mind was busy thinking about what I could whip up for a meal. Suddenly, the sound of someone clearing their throat caught my attention. I turned around to find Andres there, holding a steaming cup in front of him. "Having trouble sleeping?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of concern.

I shook my head, offering a small smile. "Took a nap earlier," I explained, grateful for that small reprieve from exhaustion

"Where's Nate?" He asked.

"I don't know." Which was true. He came back with us but I hadn't seen him since. That little cow.

"Sorry I had to leave so suddenly before."

I shook my head at him. "No need to apologise."

Andres lowered himself slowly onto the dining table, his eyes on me all the time.

I quickly turned around and made myself something warm to drink and some toast to eat. Once I had my meal, I sat on the dining table with Andres. He gave me a soft smile and took a sip of his drink.

"Will you ever tell me everything that happened between my parents and you." I asked abruptly, with zero filter.

Andres smiled. "Fallon and your mother were like sisters. Until one day she met your father."

"What happened?"

"Your father became so obsessed with being someone powerful that he pulled your mother down to his level. She didn't like what he was doing, all of his dirty work and she tried to get him to stop. She fell pregnant with you and he tightened the rope around her neck then. He muddled himself with even darker shit. Shit that meant his morales were slowly becoming clouded. And when he committed all the crimes possible, she felt sick."

My heart pained for my mum who had probably loved my father but slowly had to watch him turn into a monster.

"She fled whilst pregnant to our house and we had Nate then. She was so loving and caring, we knew she'd make an amazing mum. But he managed to find her and knock on our door himself. He had to just look at her and she walked out the door like he had an invisible leash on her. Fallon didn't hear from her until she had given birth to you and even then it was only to send a picture through email."

"Why didn't she go to the police?" I managed to choke out, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and sorrow.

"The police are nothing in this world. Bigger people are at play here." He replied, his tone laden with a weight I could scarcely fathom

"Is that bigger people that you work with now?" I asked.

"They discovered me when desperation had painted me into a corner, driving me to contemplate the very transgressions I despised," he confessed.

I nodded and asked "and then?" Wanting him to continue.

"No one can tell you the in details of what happened inside that house except your mother and father but one day it was too much for her. She called Fallon to help her escape and she said she had enough evidence to go to the FBI and even directly to the government - anything to have the world know. So she could be free.
And she was so close."

Andrea stopped speaking and he held his cup a bit tighter. "Fallon was driving. They stopped the car and shot them plain sight."

"Why wasn't I there?" I demanded, my voice tinged with a mix of guilt and confusion.

"You were left behind, not out of disregard, but out of love," he answered, his eyes a window into the past. "You were her beacon of hope, her reason to fight. She needed to ensure the truth saw the light before she could hold you safe in her arms. She believed, even amidst the darkness, that your father would never harm you."

I scoffed out loud.

"My wife never made it back home to me. And that night I vowed to bring your father down to his knees. And that's what I'm doing here. But he's a very hard man to bring down."

"Your mother, she was a marvel, a woman of unparalleled strength," his words flowed with a gentle reverence, painting a portrait of a woman whose legacy was etched in unwavering love. "Her devotion to you was a beacon that guided her through the darkest nights. Know this, she lived for your happiness and safety above all else. And I'm hoping I can honour my wife and your mother by creating a place for you that is safe and you feel loved."

Tears welled in my eyes, emotions crashing like waves against the dam of my composure. A profound sadness intertwined with a potent anger, a storm that raged within, refusing to be tamed. This was my life now, a life marred by shadows and secrets, and I resented the cards I had been dealt.

Yet, in the midst of that turbulent sea of emotions, a resolute determination took root. The right the wrongs that had fallen on my mother, a woman who dared to love in a world of treachery, surged within me. With a newfound resolve, I sat up, every muscle taut with purpose, and addressed Andres.

"I'm here until the end with however much help you need. If I can get into the office, I have my laptop there and my files. I have things I have prepped for years that works against him."

Andres' eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope, the first rays of sunlight breaking through a stormy sky. "Do you believe they can make a difference?"

"They're good things. I worked under his thumb for a long time. I probably have information you can go through and see if they're any use."

A flicker of concern crossed Andres' features, his brows furrowing, "anything is good at this point but for your safety, I don't think I can let you go back to his office. He's on the hunt for you. If there is anything that man hates is his belongs leaving his possession."

I bit down on my lip, mulling over the options, trying to find a weakness  in the fortress of my father's security. Each idea I entertained crumbled under the weight of reality. The truth was evident: there was no disguising myself or sneaking into that office undetected. My father and his men were experts at sniffing out deception, and I had no doubt they'd see through any attempt I made.

A sigh escaped me, the reality of our situation settling in. The odds were stacked against us. "We need to find a way to get me in there. I know the place well enough that all I need is five minutes—"

"And in two minutes they'll have you locked in a room, probably beaten up all over again by ten of his men." The harsh words sliced through all the bruises marring my whole body. I turned at the voice and saw a pissed of Nate hovering at the entrance of the kitchen.

"Tell me something, Ellie. Do you fucking like the idea of getting beat to the brink of your life? Because surely you know damn right that's going to happen once he gets his hands on you."

A lump lodged itself in the back of my throat, an unwelcome presence that made it difficult to speak. I was growing accustomed to this sensation, the struggle to stifle tears threatening to spill over. The disbelief settled like an anchor in the pit of my stomach. Out of all the people, he was the last one from whom I expected such words. I felt a twinge of self-disgust, berating myself for allowing his words to inflict wounds that cut deeper than I could bear.

He appeared oblivious to the impact of his words, as if they were weightless and harmless. Moving further into the kitchen, he extended his hand and grasped mine, with a pull that brought me to my feet. Urgently, he guided me out of the kitchen's confines, his touch a lifeline steering me away from my emotional turmoil. Strangely, he seemed blind to the fact that his words had etched scars into my emotions, akin to bleeding right before him.

And as he led me away, I couldn't help but wonder if the fractures he was creating were beyond repair.